“Not to like ice cream is to show oneself uninterested in food.”

The true sign of Spring is when my favorite ice cream places open and I’ve done a pretty great job hitting up a good percentage of them in the first couple weeks of April. First, I went to Martha’s Dandee Creme in Lake George (1133 State Route 9) across the street from Great Escape. I’m not supposed to eat ice cream but it’s one of those things I just can’t stay away from.

Jumpin Jacks Opening Week 2013

What I like about Martha’s Dandee Creme is they have dole whip options which are healthier, have no-lactose and are also delicious! You can grab a whole calendar from the stand itself or check their Facebook everyday for a daily flavor update. The best way to describe their ice cream is a mix between the ice cream you’re used to and a frozen custard, that’s what makes it a dandee creme! Just be careful, with most ice cream places the sizes are a little exaggerated, I’d start with a small and go from there! If a regular ice cream cone isn’t your thing, you can also get an ice cream sandwich filled with one of the flavors of the day or a delicious sundae you create yourself!

My next stop so far this Spring was Jumpin Jacks (5 Schonowee Ave, Scotia). Jumpin Jacks isn’t known just for their ice cream but their Jackburgers as well. I’m not a fan of coleslaw but from what I’ve heard, it’s quite the experience if you’ve never had one before. The location reminds you of an old-time drive-in and I kind of treat it as such. My personal memories of Jumpin Jacks include sitting on your car in the packed parking lot chatting or eating ice cream with your friends. It’s definitely a go-to place in the Capital Region over the summer. Once the concerts in Freedom Park begin for over the summer and the Water-Skiing shows, there’s no where else you’ll want to be! Jumpin Jacks also offers a dole whip option if you’re looking to snack a little healthier. They usually have two flavors of regular ice cream and two dole whip options so you’ll be sure to find one (or a twist) that you’ll enjoy.

My third stop so far this Spring was Kurver Kreme (1349 Central Ave, Albany). They offer hot dogs but the reason there’s a line is because of the ice cream. They don’t offer the dole whip option but they do have a no-fat/no-sugar added ice cream aka. “no-no.” Out of the three, if you’re looking for a sundae, make Kurver Kreme your first stop. My most recent trip, I tried something new. I went for a waffle cone. They offer sprinkles (my favorite being chocolate mint) as well as a dip but I could get both in the cone so I figured there’s a first time for everything. I love their ice cream, there’s no doubt about that but the waffle cone was different. I don’t know if it was the waxy coating on sprinkles sometimes or something in the chocolate but the first half of the cone was not enjoyable. I ended up scooping out the ice cream and breaking off all of the chocolate- and I LOVE chocolate! The rest of the cone wasn’t bad, I just wish I didn’t waste the extra money on the chocolate and just got right to the waffle one from the get-go. Overall, it wasn’t the best I’ve ever had but I didn’t hate it but from here on out I’ll probably stick with the regular cone, save some money and focus on the ice cream.

There are so many places to get ice cream in the Capital Region. What’s your FAVORITE ice cream place in the 518? You can name two if picking just one is tough!